Summary on Week 12
Learner Autonomy and Tandem Learning
Summary:
In this article, Schwienhorst shows the insights on the relationship between pedagogy and technology. He focuses on three different approaches to learner autonomy. They are individual-cognitive, social-interactive, and experimental-participatory perspective. He also talks about the use of asynchronous and synchronous communication tools and language learning structure, especially e-mail and object oriented multi-user domain (MOOS). This is useful for learner autonomy in computer mediated environments.
Reflection:
I am agree with the author about the telecommunications envitonments CALL in the article. I think it is useful and necessary in nowadays language learnning in schools. But how do we put the priciples into practical? It needs time to try and commit with the school headmaster, the colleagues and the parents. Therefore, the article mentions about the learner autonomy and tandem learning is very important. If we can provide the CALL at school, I think more or less it can motivate students' learning in or outside the classroom. He or she may learn more independent. In fact, the schedual is very tight in school. Teachers need to follow and finish all the syllabus. School and parents only expect the students can fulfill their expentation in acadamic. Therefore most of the students don't know how to solve the problems or take care themselves, don't say critical thinking. I've tried to squeese some time to introduce my web-site for my students to use before their exam. Unluckly, it makes the classteacher unhappy. She thinks it will make the students only paly with the computor and it may afftect their result. So she suggests me show them after the exam or in the school picnic. What a pity! So the school support and colleguaes understanding is very important for promoting this CALL at school.
Thanks for this very interesting reflection. Your experience reminds me of this article that I read in Language Learning and Technology - Purushotma, R. (2005). Commentary: You're not studying, you're just... Language Learning & Technology, 9(1), 80-96. There are certainly a good number of people out there who seem to believe that study and play are incompatible, i.e. it is impossible to learn while having fun. Luckily, there are also a good number of people who are exploring the use of 'serious games' in education, and who make very strong arguments that suggest it is time to move our teaching methods into the digital age. Examples of this kind of work include the work of Marc Prensky and James Paul Gee. These scholars argue that digital games provide students with rich environments for simulated learning experiences and situated learning. These arguments can be extended to other uses of technology as well. I agree with your conclusions: in order to make effective use of technology in the classroom, and in order to deelop the kind of 21st Century skills and competencies which employers are increasingly demanding for the emerging knowledge-based economy, teachers must have the support of the institution.
ReplyDeleteHi, Dr. Christopher,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. After reading your reflection, I believe that study and play are not incompatible. Here is an example of myself. When I was nine, I found that I had learning differenty because I used to mix up with the left and right side of the Chinese words or English spelling mixtakes. My parents were very worry about my future and they felt very disappointed. None of them could help, even the teachers because no one alert my problem until I became a teacher.
I found that some of the students got the same problem with me. I tried to understand and taught them in another way. I changed the letters into funny pictures and created stories to tell the meaning for them and it worked. It inspired me to create some jokes, games and stories teaching in the class, especially to someone in need. I found that this kind of method was also useful for me. Therefore, I tried to make fun to learn for myself. On the other hand, I wanted to know what’s my problem. So I took some seminas and I know I belong to dyslexia but not serise. I felt very lucky that I can study in University. I will try my best to do and learn. Sometimes I would like to choose tortoise to describe myself. Although it is slow but never give up.
After taking this IT course, it really open my eyes and mind. It is because the new technologies let me entre the 21st century skills and comopetencies. You are right, it provides use with rich envitonments for simulated learning experiences and situated learning. I think the digital games would be one of the very effective tools to enhance my students’ learning in writing and speaking. This morning I tried to introduced my web-site to one of the colleages. She felt very surprised and she said this idea was very freash , although she is more than fifty. She also suggested me to put this web-site into the school surfer. I felt very happy that at least someone can understand and receive the suggestion. I hope this is the good beginning of IT teaching in English Subject.
Hi, Dr. Christopher,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. After reading your reflection, I believe that study and play are not incompatible. Here is an example of myself. When I was nine, I found that I had learning differenty because I used to mix up with the left and right side of the Chinese words or English spelling mixtakes. My parents were very worry about my future and they felt very disappointed. None of them could help, even the teachers because no one alert my problem until I became a teacher.
I found that some of the students got the same problem with me. I tried to understand and taught them in another way. I changed the letters into funny pictures and created stories to tell the meaning for them and it worked. It inspired me to create some jokes, games and stories teaching in the class, especially to someone in need. I found that this kind of method was also useful for me. Therefore, I tried to make fun to learn for myself. On the other hand, I wanted to know what’s my problem. So I took some seminas and I know I belong to dyslexia but not serise. I felt very lucky that I can study in University. I will try my best to do and learn. Sometimes I would like to choose tortoise to describe myself. Although it is slow but never give up.
After taking this IT course, it really open my eyes and mind. It is because the new technologies let me entre the 21st century skills and comopetencies. You are right, it provides use with rich envitonments for simulated learning experiences and situated learning. I think the digital games would be one of the very effective tools to enhance my students’ learning in writing and speaking. This morning I tried to introduced my web-site to one of the colleages. She felt very surprised and she said this idea was very freash , although she is more than fifty. She also suggested me to put this web-site into the school surfer. I felt very happy that at least someone can understand and receive the suggestion. I hope this is the good beginning of IT teaching in English Subject.